Join us for an educational and hands-on demo and presentation to discover what Nordic pole walking is all about and why it is quickly catching on in America! Learn how easy it is to do and how it will benefit your health, weight, and well-being.

Presenter: Lori Clinch Adams is a trained Nordic Walking Coach since 2005. She has taught Nordic pole walking in Canada and the U.S. to hundreds of individuals. To learn more about Lori and Nordic pole walking go to www.polewalkingpolkco.weebly.com

There will be a drawing for a Hands-Free Walkin' Waist Pack and coupons for saving on lessons and pole combos. Don't miss this fun event...a great way to start a healthy New Year!

For ages 12 and up
Reservations required. Call 407-835-7323 or email southwest@ocls.info

December 11, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets December 17

Join the Southwest Book Club for the Annual Joy of Reading event. No selection to read this month. Tell others about one of your favorite books. Learn about new books and authors. Relax, enjoy refreshments, and win door prizes too!

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info

December 10, 2013

Meet Kid Author- Chelsea

Southwest Library is featuring several of the children who attended the Be an Author! program in October presented by author Maria Cox. The children or kid authors (in the same vein as Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham!) spent the afternoon learning a fun approach for how to write a story using descriptive sentences and to draw illustrations with different levels of detail to represent their story.

This week's featured kid author is Chelsea. She tells a tale of models, fashion, and mystery in her story, The Mystery Fashion Show. Chelsea's descriptions and illustration make you feel you are sitting right there at the fashion runway!

December 4, 2013

Meet Kid Author- Boris

Southwest Library is featuring several of the children who attended the Be an Author! program in October presented by author Maria Cox. The children or kid authors (in the same vein as Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham!) spent the afternoon learning a fun approach for how to write a story using descriptive sentences and to draw illustrations with different levels of detail to represent their story.

This week's featured kid author is Boris. In his colorfully illustrated story, Puppies Boris shares all the reasons he thinks they are so lovable!

November 26, 2013

Meet the Artist- JJ Dennis December 3

Meet artist JJ Dennis. Her exhibit, Eccelctic Images and Oddities is currently featured throughout the library and will be on display through December. JJ Dennis is a local freelance writer and artist specializing in digital photography/manipulation, iphoneography, and mixed media art.
If you are interested in finding out more information about the art or the artist, please contact JJ Dennis at jjdennis13@gmail.com.

Meet Kid Author- Lorelai

Southwest Library is featuring several of the children who attended the Be an Author! program in October presented by author Maria Cox. The children or kid authors (in the same vein as Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham!) spent the afternoon learning a fun approach for how to write a story using descriptive sentences and to draw illustrations with different levels of detail to represent their story.

This week's featured kid author is Lorelai. She beautifully illustrated her story, Malika's Book with colorful flowers, a bird, and the sun.

November 21, 2013

Southwest Art Club-Oil Painting Series

The Southwest Art Club in partnership with Women in the Arts Inc. (WITA) held the last workshop in the Oil on Canvas series on Saturday, November 2 at the Southwest Library. The series was taught by Leah Wiedemer, a professional artist since 1988. These photos show Leah and some of the participants with their completed paintings.

Southwest Art Club events in partnership with Women in the Arts Inc. are being planned for 2014 starting in February. If you would like to learn more about the Southwest Art Club, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info

Meet Kid Author- Nicklas

Southwest Library is featuring several of the children who attended the Be an Author! program in October presented by author Maria Cox. The children or kid authors (in the same vein as Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham!) spent the afternoon learning a fun approach for how to write a story using descriptive sentences and to draw illustrations with different levels of detail to represent their story.

This week's featured kid author is Nicklas. Interested in adventure? Nichlas is. He wrote an activity-packed story called Derek's Adventures in the Forest.

November 14, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets November 19

Join the Southwest Book Club this month to discuss The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. With penetrating intelligence and an ability to distill vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives, Duhigg brings to life a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential for transformation.

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. No registration needed. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info.

Tuesday, November 19
7:00 p.m.
Library Meeting Room

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. Why was E.P. described as "a man who would upend much of what we know about habits"? What did researchers learn from him?

2. Do you think it was ethical for psychologists to study E.P.? Was he able to consent to research onducted on his memory and habits? Explain why (or why not) the benefits of this research outweigh the negative effects it may have had on his life.

3. On page 21 the author writes, "Habits are often as much a curse as a benefit." What are examples of habits that are beneficial or detrimental in your own life?

4. The author writes that it is possible to reawaken a habit, and that habits never disappear, but are changed by new cues, routines, or rewards. Describe a habit of yours that has been changed or replaced. Do you agree or disagree that this habit can be reawakened? Why? What would it take to reawaken your habit?

5. Make a plan for a new habit you would like to develop. Identify what you can use as a cue, the steps involved in creating a routine and the reward this new habit will deliver.

Meet Kid Author- Lucas

Southwest Library is featuring several of the children who attended the Be an Author! program in October presented by author Maria Cox. The children or kid authors (in the same vein as Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham!) spent the afternoon learning a fun approach for how to write a story using descriptive sentences and to draw illustrations with different levels of detail to represent their story.

This week's featured kid author is Lucas. He penned a story about the devastation of World War ll and called his book War.

November 6, 2013

Meet Kid Author-Thomas

Southwest Library is featuring several of the children who attended the Be an Author! program in October presented by author Maria Cox. The children or "kid authors" (in the same vein as Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham!) spent the afternoon learning a fun approach for how to write a story using descriptive sentences and to draw illustrations with different levels of detail to represent their story.

This week's featured kid author is Thomas. He tells of his expertise with the computer game, Minecraft in his story called The Official Guide to Minecraft.

October 29, 2013

Meet Kid Author- Jordan

On Saturday, October 19, seventeen children and thirteen adults attended the Be an Author! program at Southwest Library presented by Maria Cox, Ph.D., co-owner of Dancing Lilies Press; Children's Book Publisher, and author of the loved Virginia -Lee series.

Over the next few months, Southwest Library will feature several of the children and their stories on our blog. The children or "kid authors" (in the same vein asTheodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham!) spent the afternoon learning a fun approach for how to write a story using descriptive sentences and how to draw illustrations to represent their story with different levels of detail.

Our first featured kid author is Jordan. He loves all kinds of cars but focused his story on one of his favorites, the Chevy Camaro. He called his story Cars: Chevy Camaro

October 21, 2013

New Program at Southwest: Body and Books

Experience the health benefits and rejuvenation of yoga-based exercises and a dose of read aloud literature. A great way to start your day! To see the program in action, watch WKMG Local 6 News taping on their Making a Difference segment.

Please dress in loose and comfortable clothing. No prior yoga experience is needed. All of the exercises can be done in a chair if needed or preferred.

For more information, call Sandy Mayer at 407. 835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info

October 9, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets October 15

Join the Southwest Book Club this month to discuss Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. In Brunt's debut novel, 15-year-old June must come to terms with the death of her beloved uncle Finn, an artist, from AIDS in 1980's New York. The novel is both a painful reminder of the ill-informed responses to a once little-known disease and a delightful romp through an earlier decade. Named one of the best books of 2012.

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. No registration needed. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info.

Tuesday, October 15
7:00 p.m.
Library Meeting Room

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. Toby initiates a relationship with June that necessarily involves secrets kept from her parents. Can this ever be right? Is it ever okay for an adult to have a secret relationship with a child? Even if it's formed out of the best of intentions?

2. Every relationship in the book is tinged with jealousy and/or envy. How is this played out in each of the relationships? Can jealousy ever be a positive thing? Does loving someone too much always lead to jealousy?

3. "My mother gave me a disappointed look. Then I gave her one back. Mine was for everything, not just the sandwich"

Readers have said that they feel very negatively towards June's mother, Danni. How do you feel about her? How much is she to blame for the events in the book?

4. If you were around in the late 80s, do you remember anything about your perception of AIDS and the fear surrounding the disease?

5. Do you blame June for what happens to Toby towards the end of the book? Do you think June will ever forgive herself for what happened that night?

October 4, 2013

JJ Dennis Art Exhibit at the Southwest Library

The Southwest Library is pleased to present the artist JJ Dennis. Her exhibit, Eccelctic Images and Oddities is featured throughout the library and will be on display through December. JJ Dennis is a local freelance writer and artist specializing in digital photography/manipulation, iphoneography, and mixed media art.

If you are interested in finding out more information about the art or the artist, please contact JJ Dennis at jjdennis13@gmail.com.

September 11, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets September 17

Join the Southwest Book Club this month to discuss In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. Best-selling author Larson (The Devil in the White City) turns his considerable literary nonfiction skills to the experiences of U.S. ambassador to Germany William E. Dodd and his family in Berlin in the early years of Hitler's rule. Larson offers a mesmerizing portrait of the Nazi capital, the Third Reich and its leader.

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info.

Tuesday, September 17
7:00 p.m.
Library Meeting Room

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. William Dodd went to Germany believing that Hitler would have a positive influence on Germany. Why were so many at first enamored of Nazism and willing "to give Hitler everything he wants"?

2. Why did Dodd's--and numerous others'--warnings about Hitler fall on indifferent ears in the US? What was the primary concern of the US in its relationship with Germany? Was the US stance one of purposeful ignorance...or of sheer disbelief?

3. How does Erik Larson portray Hitler in his book? Does he humanize him...or present him as a monster? How does he depict Goebbels and Goering...and other higher-ups in the Nazi party?

4. What do you think of William Dodd? What about him do you find admirable? Were you mildly amused or impressed by his sense of frugality?

5. What about Martha? What do you find in her character to admire...or not? Did she purposely allow herself to be blinded by Udet and Rudolf Diels...or was she truly dazzled by their charms? Her promiscuity could have made her a serious liability. Were you surprised that her parents seemed untroubled by her multiple love affairs, or that they didn't try to reign in her behavior?

6. What have learned about the period leading up the World War II that you hadn't known? What surprised you? What confirmed things you already knew?

7. How does the fact that you know the eventual outcome of Nazi Germany affect the way you experience the book? Does foreknowledge heighten...or lessen the story's suspense. Either way...why?

August 14, 2013

Southwest Art Club Series Begins

The Southwest Art Club Series in partnership with Women in the Arts Inc. (WITA) held the first workshop in the series on Saturday, August 3 at the Southwest Library. A series of four workshops with a focus on oil painting will be held the first Saturday of every month through November 2. Leah Wiedemer, a Florida artist is the instructor for the series.

August 13, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets August 20

Join the Southwest Book Club this month to discuss Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. This book club favorite and historical fiction bestseller is a story about the love and friendship of a Chinese boy, Henry Lee and a Japanese girl, Keiko during the Japanese internment in World War II. Years later widowed Lee embarks on a personal quest that leads to memories of a love that transcended cultures and generations. This quest may also help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info.

Tuesday, August 20
7:00 p.m.
Library Meeting Room

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. From the beginning of the novel, Henry wears the "I am Chinese" button given to him by his father. What is the significance of this button and its message, and how has Henry's understanding of that message changed by the end of the novel?

2. What sacrifices do the characters in the novel make in pursuit of their dreams for themselves and for others? Do you think any characters sacrifice too much, or for the wrong reasons? Consider the sacrifices Mr. Okabe makes, for example, and those of Mr. Lee. Both fathers are acting for the sake of their children, yet the results are quite different. Why?

3. Does Henry give up on Keiko too easily? What else could he have done to find her? What about Keiko? Why didn't she make more of an effort to see Henry once she was released from the camp?

4. Should the men and women of Japanese ancestry rounded up by the US during the war have protested more actively against the loss of their property and liberty? Remember that most were eager to demonstrate their loyalty to the US. What would you have done in their place? What's to prevent something like this from ever happening again?

July 24, 2013

New Art Club Series Starts August 3

Is learning how to paint with acrylics or oils on your bucket list? Do you want to improve your painting skills?

The Southwest Art Club Series-Painting sponsored by Women in the Arts Inc. a non-profit organization is providing painting workshops taught by a qualified art instructor monthly starting in August and continuing through November.
Painting workshops will be held on August 3, September 7, October 5, and November 2.
Time: 10:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M.

Workshops are free. Basic materials will be provided. Optional: Participants may bring their own canvas, brushes, and oil paints (no acrylic or watercolor)

Registration is required.
Limited to 15 participants, first-come first-serve basis.
For ages 18 and up

July 17, 2013

Southwest Library Summer Reading Program 2013

This has been an exciting year for the Southwest Library's Summer Reading Program. During the week, we've shown movies, dug into the past, and explored natural disasters! Every Friday morning at 11am, we have a different presenter that educates and entertains. Our presenters included Mr. Tim the Comedy Magician, Juggling Jeff, Critter Encounters, The Selfish Giant Puppet Show, Hands-On Wildlife, and JiggleMan.

Next Friday, the Hawaiian Dancers will be our guest performers. On August 2, we have Snake Education with a Twist, and on August 9, Yehaa Bob will be performing. We also have a variety of movies and craft programs for kids during the week. Stop by the Southwest Library to grab a copy of our full summer schedule or visit www.ocls.inf/srp. All programs are free, but please register to attend.

July 13, 2013

Art at the Library

The Southwest Library is proud to present the exhibit, Love from Moldova, paintings from artists Andriyesh Bukov and David Kogan. Both artists are originally from Moldova and enjoy working in various mediums, including acrylic, oil, and watercolor. The exhibit will be on display July through September 2013 at the Southwest Library.

Andriyesh Bukov worked with the Moldovan Operette, developing sets and costumes. His art has been featured in numerous galleries and art festival throughout Europe, including Germany, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria.

David Kogan has been painting since the age of six. He received a Fine Arts degree from the University of Chisiniau, worked for Walt Disney World as an artistic decorator, and had his work featured in several exhibits throughout the U.S.

If you are interested in finding out more information about the art or the artists, contact Andriyesh Bukov at 904-483-0577. David Kogan can be reached through his email, davidkogan99@gmail.com.

July 9, 2013

Exploring the World of Animation with Elite Animation Academy at Southwest Library

Here's your opportunity to learn about the world of animation!

Paulo Alvarado, Creative Director and Head Instructor of Elite Animation Academy in Orlando will cover the history of animation while placing a strong emphasis on drawing fundamentals such as volume, proportions, depth, pose and gesture. He will also explore acting and story and how these elements apply to the world of animation and help breathe life into characters.http://www.eliteanimationacademy.com/

Southwest Book Club Meets July 16

Join the Southwest Book Club to discuss A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Ralph Truitt, a wealthy businessman who lives in a remote nineteenth-century Wisconsin town has a troubled past. After advertising for a reliable wife, his ad is answered by Catherine Land, a woman who makes every effort to hide her own dark secrets. A tale of suspenseful seduction and an unexpected ending!

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info.

Tuesday, July 16
7:00 p.m.
Library Meeting Room

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. Ralph and Catherine's story frequently pauses to give brief, often horrific glimpses into the lives of others. Ralph remarks on the violence that surrounds them in Wisconsin, saying, "They hate their lives. They start to hate each other. They lose their minds, wanting things they can't have". How do these vignettes of madness and violence contribute to the novel's themes?

2. The encounter between Catherine and her sister, Alice, is one of the pivotal moments of the novel. How do you view these two women after reading the story of their origins? Why do the two sisters wind up on such different paths? Why does Catherine ultimately lose hope in Alice's redemption?

3. The idea of escape runs throughout the novel. Ralph thinks, "Some things you escape.... You don't escape the things, mostly bad, that just happen to you" (pages 5-6). What circumstances trap characters permanently? How do characters attempt to escape their circumstances? When, if ever, do they succeed? How does the bird imagery that runs through the book relate to the idea of imprisonment and escape?

4. Did you have sympathy for any of the characters? Did this change as time went on?

5. Does Catherine live up in any way to the advertisement Ralph places in the newspaper (page 20)? Why or why not?

6. At the onset of A Reliable Wife the characters are not good people. They have done bad things and have lived thoughtlessly. In the end how do they find hope?

June 12, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets June 18

Start your summer reading by joining the Southwest Book Club to discuss Bossypants by Tina Fey. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon, comedian Tina Fey reveals all, and proves that you're no one until someone calls you bossy. A hilarious and insightful read!

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info.

Tuesday, June 18
7:00 p.m.
Library Meeting Room

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. What's with the book's cover? Why would Fey have given herself hairy, masculine arms?

2. Readers and reviewers are all over the map on Bossypants: some see it as a revealing memoir, others as an act of concealment, revealing very little of her personal life. Where do you stand on Fey's book? Is the book a memoir...or a comedy book filled with one-liners. Is it humorous...or insightful...or neither? Do you want more? Or does it leave you satisfied?

3. Which essay pieces do you find most engaging or provocative--the women's magazine parody, the "prayer" for her daughter, the pretend facts-of-life brochure, or the satirical "me time" for parents?

4. Speaking of one-liners, which ones do you find funny or, perhaps, insightful? Talk about the lines that tickled your funny bone...or others that struck the philosopher in you.

5. What do you think of Tina Fey? Has reading Bossypants altered your view of her? Why or why not?

May 18, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets May 21

As part of the Big Read program, join the Southwest Book Club this month to discuss The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. After being drawn together by the shadows of their past, four women start meeting every week in San Francisco to engage in hobbies they all enjoy. After one of the four members dies, her daughter takes her place to fulfill her mother's dying wish. After the revelation of a secret, the women are forced to think back to their pasts and remember the sometimes painful events of their lives. With wit and sensitivity, Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. #BigRead13

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info.

Tuesday, May 21
7:00 p.m.
Southwest Branch Library

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. The Joy Luck Club was written as a collection of short stories. Is the order important? Could this have been told as a single story? What would that change?

2. By telling a story from the perspective of Chinese immigrants and first-generation Americans, what does the book reveal about American culture?

3. How do the struggles of the daughters mirror the tragedies of their mothers? What does this suggest about the relationships between parents and children?

4. Tan has said that she wishes to break from "the ghetto of ethnic literature." Does The Joy Luck Club cross from the ethnic to the universal?

May 8, 2013

Support the Library! Eat at Lime Fresh Mexican Grill May 10

Enjoy lunch or dinner with your friends and family and let Lime Fresh Mexican Grill give back 20% of your purchase directly to the Orange County Public Library System as part of their Community GiveBack Program. The total Community GiveBack amount will be donated directly to the Library.

When: Friday, May 10, 2013Where: Lime Fresh Mexican Grill
8031 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, FL How: Present a GiveBack Program flyer to your server. Flyers can be picked up at the Southwest Library, 7255 Della Drive, Orlando, FL. It's that easy!
To make a reservation, please call Lime at 407-370-3810. For directions to the restaurant or a peek at the menu, visit LimeFreshMexicanGrill.com

April 26, 2013

8th Annual Southwest Author Series May 3

Come to the 8th Annual Southwest Author Series presented in partnership with The Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips featuring NY Times Bestselling author Charles Martin. The doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Book sale and signing will follow the program. This event is free and light refreshments will be served.

April 12, 2013

Art at the Library

The Southwest Library is proud to present the paintings of Cuban-American artist Dalgis Edelson. Dalgis explores beauty and ugliness and the gains and losses of life, in her wonderfully complex oil paintings cast on regular canvas and wood. Drawing from her deep sense of spirituality, dreams and imaginative wanderings, Edelson creates worlds infused with symbolism and meaning meant to probe the intuitive flow of human experience.
Inspired by Goya, Dali, Kahlo and the Old Masters, Edelson's paintings delve into the mysteries of humanity and the universe to touch the viewer and lend greater insight into humanity's emotional terrains.

The library is also featuring the Kirigami work of Al Aki. Kirigami is a variation of origami that includes paper folding and cutting to create beautiful designs. Al is a local origami artist/expert as well as an actor and voiceover artist. Al is also a Japanese storyteller at Walt Disney World.

If you are interested in finding out more information about the art or the artists, call 407.835.7323 or email southwest at ocls.info. More of Dalgis Edelson's work can be found on her website, www.dalgis-edelson.fineartamerica.com. Al Aki may be contacted at akial2003 at yahoo.com or through www.origamiland.com.

Both of these exhibits will be on display April through June 2013 at the Southwest Library.

April 9, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets April 16

Join the Southwest Book Club to discuss Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdie. Rushdie writes a memoir of his nine years spent underground after he was sentenced to death by the Ayatollah Khomeini for his controversial novel, The Satanic Verses.

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info.

Tuesday, April 16
7:00 p.m.
Library Meeting Room

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. The memoir is written in the third-person, an unusual perspective for memoirs, which are usually first-person accounts. Why might Rushdie have used this point-of-view?

2. How does the Islamic world view The Satanic Verses? Why is it considered blasphemous? What is Rushdie's own view of the book? In what way does he say that the work is a "much more personal, interior exploration" than, say, Midnight's Children?

3. Rushdie considers the fatwa, as "a terrorist act that had to be confronted." He believes the world's leaders had and have an obligation to "defend his right to be a troublemaker." Do you agree?

4. In September, 2012, the very month that Joseph Anton was published, a film derogatory to Islam and Mohammed, produced by a small group in California, was released on YouTube. Considered blasphemous, the film inflamed Muslim anger throughout the Middle East. Should there be limits to the freedom of artistic speech? Criticism of religions is illegal in Germany, for instance. In the U.S. and other Western countries, however, free speech is granted almost absolute protection. Is it a government's responsibility to protect authors like Rushdie, cartoonists in the Netherlands, or film producers in California, who allegedly blaspheme religions? What do you think?

March 12, 2013

Meet the Author - Lucas Daniel Boyce March 19

Meet local author and NBA Executive Lucas Daniel Boyce as he shares insights from his book, Living Proof: From Foster Care to the White House and the NBA. In his inspiring book, Boyce tells the powerful story of his ascension from abandoned foster care child to Pennsylvania Avenue. To learn more about the author, visit www.lucasdanielboyce.com
Book sale and signing will follow the program.

Southwest Book Club Meets March 19

Join the Southwest Book Club to discuss the Young Adult bestseller, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Set in the cruel world in the Capital of the nation of Panem, the annual Hunger Games pits young children against one another in a battle to the death on national T.V. So, when Katniss is ordered to represent her district, she knows an important decision between survival and the love of another will have to be made when she is called to enter the ring.
Teens (ages 13-18) are welcome to attend the discussion of this bestselling Young Adult novel. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info

Tuesday, March 19
6:00 p.m.
Southwest Branch Library (study area)

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. Describe the relationships of Katniss with Gale, with Prim, with her mother. How do those relationships define her personality? Why does she say about Peeta, "I feel like I owe him something, and I hate owing people." How does her early encounter with Peeta affect their relationship after they are chosen as tributes?

2. Why does Katniss ignore Haymitch's advice to head directly away from the Cornucopia? Did she do the right thing to fight for equipment? What are the most important skills she has for staying alive -- her knowledge of nature? -- her skill with bow and arrow? -- her trapping ability? What qualities of her personality keep her going - her capacity for love? -- her intelligence? -- her self-control?

3. What makes Katniss and Rue trust each other to become partners? What does Katniss gain from this friendship besides companionship? Is Katniss and Rue's partnership formed for different reasons than the other group's?

4. What do you think is the cruelest part of the Hunger Games? What kind of people would devise this spectacle for the entertainment of their populace? Can you see parallels between these Games and the society that condones them, and other related events and cultures in the history of the world?

5. In 1848, Karl Marx wrote in The Communist Manifesto, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." Discuss this statement as it applies to the society and government of Panem. Do you believe there is any chance to eradicate class struggles in the future?

6. Reality TV has been a part of the entertainment world since the early days of television (with shows such as Candid Camera and the Miss America Pageant), but in the 21st century there has been a tremendous growth of competitive shows and survival shows. Discuss this phenomenon with respect to The Hunger Games. What other aspects of our popular culture do you see reflected in this story?

February 14, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets February 19

The Southwest Book Club will meet on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Meeting Room at the Southwest Library. We will discuss books written by featured authors at this year's annual Winter with the Writers event at Rollins College. Featured writers this year include: N. Scott Momaday, Karen Russell, Ricardo Pau-Llosa, Mayra Santos-Febres, and Azar Nafisi. Pick one or more to read!

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library.

For more information, please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest(at)ocls.info.

January 24, 2013

The Southwest Library Featured Artist - Koffi Mbairamadji

The Southwest Library is pleased to present the artist Koffi Mbairamadji. His exhibit, Wonders, is featured throughout the library and will be on display January through March.

Koffi, a self-taught artist, was born in Chad, Africa. Since coming to the United States, Koffi has lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Albuquerque, New Mexico, and now Orlando.
He became well-known as an artist living in the Minnesota Twin Cities area. One of his works, Peace was chosen to be in a newsletter at Georgetown Center for Liturgy in Washington, D.C. Another work, Pastor was used in liturgy at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Six of his works were chosen as greeting cards by Goodwill Industries of Minnesota. Koffi is also the author of a children's book, African Savannah Stories.

January 22, 2013

Reduce Stress and Anxiety with Meditation January 26

Start the New Year learning how to reduce anxiety and cope better with stress in your life with the use of breathing techniques and meditation. Improve your health and heart condition while developing inner calm and a peaceful state of joy. Breathing techniques eliminate bodily toxins, unclutter the mind and pave the way for meditation, which clears the mind and develops inner balance.

Presenter: Edely Wallace, founder and executive director of Yogamatrix Studio in Orlando, Florida and a master Yoga Instructor with over two decades of teaching experience. Edely has trained in Belgium, Brazil and the United States.

Saturday, January 26
11:30 a.m.
Southwest Branch Library

Registration is required. Please call 407.835.7323 or email southwest@ocls.info
You may also register online

January 9, 2013

Southwest Book Club Meets January 15

Join the Southwest Book Club to discuss the book, The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann on Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00 p.m. in library study area. In 1925, renowned British explorer Col. Percy Harrison Fawcett embarked on a journey to find the city of Z, site of an ancient Amazonian civilization that may or may not have existed. Fawcett, along with his grown son Jack, never returned. But that didn't stop countless others from venturing into the jungle to find Fawcett or the city. Among the wannabe explorers is Grann, a staff writer for the New Yorker, who has bad eyes and a worse sense of direction. By interweaving the great story of Fawcett with his own investigative escapades in South America and Britain, Grann provides an in-depth and colorful tale of true adventure.

Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to attend. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library.

Discussion Questions
If you are unable to attend the meeting or you would like to join our discussion, you can share your thoughts or respond to the discussion questions below. Simply click "Comments" located at the bottom of this post. Join the discussion!

1. What is the Western world's attitude toward science and progress during Fawcett's time?

2. How does Grann portray Fawcett? What kind of a man was he? Would you describe him as a victim of his own obsession...as a romantic...a fool bent on his own destruction...a rational man of science...?

3. What draws Grann into the search for Fawcett--what initially sparks the author's fascination? Consider Grann's own difficulty in the Amazon, especially for a man who delights in air conditioning and fast food. Finally, what new information does Grann contribute to solving the mystery surrounding Fawcett's disappearance?

4. What are some of the more surprising, even shocking, accounts of jungle exploration you found in this work?

5. What does the book have to say about the native people of the Amazon?